St. Joseph's Polish Church Puts Some Oom-pah-pah Into Worship Celebration

CELEBRATIONS

January 23, 1998|_ PAUL SCOTT ABBOTT, Special to the Sun-Sentinel

At St. Joseph's Polish National Catholic Church in Davie, not only is toe-tapping allowed in worship, it is encouraged.

Polka bands increasingly are becoming part of Sunday Mass there.

After last Sunday's service at which the Wesoly Bolek Band played, Father Paul Sobiechowski pointed out that the Bible proclaims that saving souls entails being ``all things to all people,'' and added, ``I have a feeling if St. Paul were here today, he'd be polka-dancing _ or doing the macarena or whatever _ and through it all he'd be proclaiming the Gospel.''

Bandleader Bill Borek, who might stand on a chair or cruise the crowd with his keyboard when playing at local Polish-American clubs and other events, said he tends to be ``very traditional'' when performing at churches.

During the Davie church's annual January polka Mass, Borek sang tunes including an offertory hymn in English and a recessional hymn in Polish.

He played the keyboard and was accompanied by a drummer, trumpeter and accordionist.

Then, as part of the parish's fourth annual Polkabration celebration, ``The World's Most Dangerous Polka Band'' moved to the patio behind the church and played polka music all afternoon as many who took part in Mass _ including Father Sobiechowski _ danced.

A chicken and pork dinner, with plenty of sauerkraut and beer on the side, also was featured.

During Mass, Lucille Laskowski, 69, of Plantation, couldn't keep her feet from bouncing as Borek sang a polka rendition of ``We Offer Bread and Wine.''

Laskowski, whose parents moved from Poland to Pennsylvania before she was born, said as her toes tapped, ``It's wonderful. I enjoy it. We love it. I'm waiting for this to get over so I can get out there and dance. I'm a dancer, a polka dancer. Dancing, drinking, eating _ that's what it's all about. We know how to party.''

Laskowski's friend, Helen Lagoda, 71, drove with her husband from Pompano Beach to take part in what for them was a first-time experience in Florida, although she had been to several polka Masses in their native New Jersey.

``Back home in New Jersey, we have a lot of these affairs, these polka Masses,'' Lagoda said. ``This is great.''

Father Sobiechowski said polka Masses have been popular for about 30 years in the Northeast and Midwest, including Detroit, from which he moved in 1983 to lead the Davie parish.

He said that songs during a polka Mass typically are traditional hymns adapted to a polka beat.

``You wouldn't find something like, `In Heaven There Is No Beer,' '' he said. ``You just set church hymns to polka music.''

Norbert Izdepski, 77, a member of the church audit committee who retired to Hollywood from his native Chicago, declined to say how much money polka events generate for St. Joseph's but said, ``I think it's great. It draws a lot of people. They love it.''

Last Sunday's polka Mass drew 150 people, about half-again as many as the 100 who go to a typical Polish-English Mass at the church.

In fact, the polka Mass concept has become so popular that another one is set for Feb. 22, featuring the Jersey Polka Richie; an outdoor polka Mass is being planned for a park March 8 and a polka band is being booked for Mass and a spring dance afterward on May 17.